Teen Peace Summit brings the sound of hope to UNO Lakefront Arena

Saturday's all-day Teen Peace Summit interspersed its lengthy musical lineup with serious messages about stemming violence in New Orleans, brought to young people by Crimestoppers and Q93 radio.

"We really need to stop the crime, man. We need peace," crooner Rantz Davis said before introducing a slower number "for the beautiful ladies."

On Saturday, the ladies were mostly teenage girls who spent the entire day at the event in the UNO Lakefront Arena.

Most of the teens in the arena kept their cell phones in hand, taking photos of performers and tweeting responses to questions posted on a big onstage screen to #cspeace, a special Twitter hashtag created for the event.

"It's messed up how many people we lose to violence," Troy Walker tweeted as the crowd waited for Mystikal to perform.

Elsewhere in the arena, Kenneth Collins was working his phone hard. "My thumbs hurt but I wanna keep the peace," he wrote.

Singer Kimberly McMillian, 18, a freshman at Loyola University, won over the audience for her solos with the choir One Vision One Voice. But she also appreciated the philosophy behind the day, she said, noting that there was a shooting a few months ago on her block in eastern New Orleans and that neighbors were nervous about a pair of young men robbing people at gunpoint in the area.

College students Byron Wilson, 23, and Cornelius Williams, 21, who also sing in the choir, said that in a five-block radius of their Jefferson Parish homes, they are the only two in their age range who both graduated from high school and don't yet have children. That's because their strict mothers kept them inside, away from temptation, they said.

Not long after noon, the city's top criminal-justice officials arrived and stood backstage, waiting for their scheduled panel discussion.

They watched, amused, as they realized they had a tough act to follow: A crowd of young women had rushed the stage, screaming and swaying for heartthrob singer Bobby Valentino, known as Bobby V.

After a few rounds of questions, Serpas seemed to understand that the show needed a little more entertainment. He cued the DJ behind him, triggering a steady bass beat, which he dubbed "the DA's beatbox," suggesting that Cannizzaro should debut his footwork onstage.

The audience loved it.

"Believe it or not, everyone up here was a young person at one time," Letten said, noting that all of the New Orleans officials are natives of the city. That gives them a special stake in curtailing its violence, he said.

All of the officials then offered some parting words. May told the teenagers that the future is up to them. Gusman advised avoiding people who do wrong. Listen to your parents, teachers, coaches, pastors and "to your heart," Cannizzaro said. Hug and kiss your parents, Normand said.

"Be the bravest person you can be," Serpas said before again cueing the DJ.